Emma Teng joined Bannermans Lawyers in July 2026 after working at a boutique Sydney CBD firm specialising in conveyancing, property transactions, leasing and property‑related litigation. At Bannermans, Emma works across the strata team, advising on and drafting by‑laws, Building and Strata Management Statements, contracts, deeds and licences. She also assists with boundary matters, fencing and retaining wall disputes, and manages conveyancing and property transactions.
Alexandra is an Associate based in Melbourne, practising in Owners Corporation Law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Human Rights, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.
Having built a solid grounding in property law early in her career, Alexandra now advises owners corporations, lot owners and managers on issues spanning compliance, disputes, governance and building defects.
Outside work, Alexandra dabbles in amateur jewellery-making and enjoys travelling and beach trips with her two dogs.
Is the committee allowed to exceed the major spending limit for the scheme when it comes to insurance, and if so, is it still required to obtain two quotes pursuant to section 163 of the Act (Accommodation Module)? If so, must the two quotes be included with the notice of the Annual General Meeting?
Our grounds maintenance contractor resigned, and the committee put out an EGM asking owners to vote on a replacement. The process wasn't advertised, and only two companies were listed as options. An ASIC search revealed the cheaper option is half owned by our body corporate manager through a holding company. None of this was in the voting pack. A Form 35 appeared a week after the notice went out and only after I raised the matter. On the Form 35, they ticked "no commercial arrangement, commission or other benefit", which is hard to swallow when you own 50% of the company.
We live in a tower block that is classified as a building format plan. Units at the base of the building have courtyards. The courtyards are not classified as exclusive use, so the boundary of the lot is also the boundary of the courtyard.
There is common property space on the other side of the courtyards. Who is responsible for the fences that divide the courtyards and the common property?
We've just had our apartment doors repainted. It looks like they just painted over the old paint, and I don't think they used a fire-rated paint.
Should a fire-rated paint be used when repainting fire-rated doors?
For a motion to succeed to install an improvement (e.g. a $50k diesel power generator to overcome power blackouts), do 100% of owners, even those normally unable to vote because of not having paid their levies, need to approve?
It seems to me that for an owner not to be financial they must be in financial strife, and hitting them with a proportion of a $50k improvement would be too much.
Can you clarify the difference between "subcontracting" and having an employee?
The Management Agreement includes:
"The Manager may in his discretion subcontract part of his duties of the Manager hereunder provided however that any subcontract shall not diminish the obligations and responsibility of the Manager as herein contained."
Our complex is 160 houses under the accommodation module. The committee recently changed complex access from a keypad system to fobs, which now require a deposit and an application. Family members drop off and pick up my grandchildren, friends collect my wife for outings, and drop her off after work. None of these people will have a fob, so keypad access is the only practical option. There is also the safety issue and inconvenience of losing a fob at 2 am.